Self-positioning space organizer and holder

ABSTRACT

A self-positioning space organizer and object holder apparatus for storing objects is shown. The holder comprises a body element enclosure snugly fitting an object by contact pressure gripping. The holder has one or more leg members contiguous with the body and leg ends with gripping surfaces using holder residual stress to conformable maintain available space position. The holder is malleable but can be compressed to provide a springing adherence force. A divider can be located in and around the holder for dividing the available space in the organizer further.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a Continuation to U.S. Provisional PatentApplication Ser. No. US60/590,532 filed on Jul. 23, 2004, and which isincorporated herein by reference in its entirety and for all purposes.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The field of the present invention relates in general to the fields ofspace organizers and holders for stored objects and in particular, fororganizing and holding objects steady and safe from jarring or damagingvibration.

2. Background

Loose objects such as pens, pencils, notepapers, etc, tend to slideabout when being transported in a vehicle not to mention the clutterthat can collect in a vehicle if things are not organized. In addition,the consumer goods industry has given us calculators, PDAs, cell phones,MP3 players, camcorders, and many other small electronic devices.Leaving these lying free in a vehicle can lead to damage to the objectduring sudden stops, starts or worse, collisions. These can also lead todangerous situations wherein these projectiles flying about the interiorof the vehicle can injure the occupants. Moreover, the movement of theseobjects may distract the driver in attempts to retrieve the objectswhile driving, if his or her attention must be averted from the roadway,potentially causing an accident.

Attempts have been made to hold objects on vehicle glove boxes,dashboards or between seats. See U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,619,586; 4,577,788;4,846,382; 5,419,265; 3,104,895; and 5,025,919 each describe anafter-market box or tray-like structure that is designed to be mountedon a vehicle dashboard and provide a writing surface and/or storage forother items. These generally suffer from being large and unwieldy, andcan partially obscure the drivers field of vision or are generallyoccupied by other facilities and not available. More over, they mayprovide rigid support which is not conducive to sudden movementstransferring the load directly to sensitive electronic devices orotherwise too unforgiving to be suitable as a holder. Also, availablespace may be complex curving structure, with dips, slopes and compoundcurves. Thus, organizers and holders must be self-positioning and notoverly rigid in their support of objects. Vehicles traveling over roughterrain, bad roads or construction zones are particularly prone tolosing items.

Accordingly, there is a need for a multipurpose accessory, which can besecured in an available space to hold a variety of objects and preventitems stored from flying about. Such an accessory would not only provideconvenience to the driver, but would be a safety feature because itwould allow the driver to maintain concentration on the task at hand,driving and peace of mind that sudden positional changes will not damagehis expensive devices.

Automobile glove compartments usually contain a singleun-compartmentalized space of limited dimensions wherein a number ofitems may be stored. These items within a typical glove compartment,however, are usually difficult to find because the typical glovecompartment does not have separate compartments and the items becomebundled. It is desirable, however, to provide a space organizer to beinstalled in the glove compartment to divide the space in the glovecompartment into several holding volumes for storage of various articleswhich may be conveniently found and selected when needed and also safelystored such that road jarring or sudden hits will not sustain damage toany sensitive electronic components.

The conventional compartment organizers and holding apparatus havenumerous drawbacks and limitations. Some solutions havecompartmentalized but they have not provided a secure volume. Thesupport surface of the conventional compartment organizers also hassmooth surfaces so that items may slide on the support surface. Inaddition, the conventional compartment organizers do not fit snugly intoan available space and there is a variety of different makes and modelsof automobiles to accommodate. Likewise, the dash and console areas havesolutions which also have limitations in size, obstructing visibility,are cumbersome, not self-positioning or not spring adjustable againstsudden movements generating forces which can damage sensitive objectsand electronic devices such as MP3 players, cell phones, jump memorysticks, flash cards, PDAs, pocket PCs, garage door openers, eye glasses,maps wallets, small containers or bottles, etc. Thus, it is desirable toprovide a space organizer that overcomes the problems and limitationsdescribed above and it is to this end that the present invention isdirected.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides an apparatus for organization and safetransportation of different items in accessory storage or availablespace volume. In the preferred embodiment, the self-positioning spaceorganizer and object holder is provided with a conformable spring likebody member having means for adjustably supporting an object within theapparatus rigidly held by pressure and having two or more extending legelements. Each of the leg elements is bendable so that the length of thelegs can be easily adjusted to support the body in a confined space.Affixed to the bottom side of each leg is a mounting foot having amounting grip surface, for securing the leg members to the availablecompartment or surface surrounding available volume.

The self-positioning space organizer and object holder has a bodyelement for holding and storing an object, and one or more bendable legmembers with gripping feet for surface adhesion. The body enclosures orreceptacles may be formed to store specific items and changed accordingto the needs of the user. Thus, disclosed is an apparatus that isadaptable for use in organizing and transporting items in the storagecompartment or other available space of a vehicle.

The invention apparatus body and legs are contiguously connected to formone self-positioning space organizer and object holder. The holder legmember ends have the means to grip the walls of a compartment or spaceand to position a body within the available space of the storagecompartment. The body enclosure provides the means for holding an objectwhich then has limited movement and vibration insulation from vehiclemotion. Other embodiments include various body and leg member materialsand constructions that reduce apparatus size, weight, and material cost.

The following are the objects and advantages of the present invention:

1. The device provides a mechanism that allows the self-positioningspace organizer and object holder to automatically adjust and fitsecurely in the available space.

2. The device provides and maintains a constant pressure against thesides of an enclosing volume that provides protection through isolationfrom forcing frequency vehicle vibration.

3. The device can fit in and available space in longitudinal,transverse, or diagonal directions, depending on the size and shape ofthe available space volume.

4. The device does not require any assembly and is easy to use.

5. The device can be easily placed or removed from the holding volume ofa vehicle.

6. The dividers in the device are adjustable that allow the user tocustomize the space in the organizer.

7. The holder apparatus provides a shelf or box enclosure within anyopening or space not designed to hold or position smaller objects.

8. The holder apparatus is self-positioning to and will hold objectsfirmly when placed in any desired space or enclosure.

9. The holder apparatus provides a cushioned environment for safelystoring devices or objects within any enclosure.

10. The holder apparatus unique spring-like grip design acts to isolatefrom external forcing vibration or impact loads.

11. The modified design of the device can be used in vehicles with mostany small space with gripping surfaces for attachment.

12. The apparatus is light, durable, economical in construction, andaesthetically pleasing.

13. The holder apparatus can be adapted to adjustably fit any electronicor non-electronic device or object by changing the size and shape of theholder or body element.

14. The interior of the holder apparatus body element can be lined witha rubber-gripping material to hold objects in a stable position.

15. The body element can also be adopted with a mesh or other materialconstruction.

16. The holder apparatus can be a one-piece injection molded part the iscontiguously supported by a plurality of leg members.

17. The holder apparatus body and let elements provide the uniqueadjustable spring stiffness which acts to insulate from externalvibration and impact loads.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Additional objects and advantages of this invention will become apparentfrom a consideration of the following drawings and their description.

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of the self-positioning space organizer andobject holder in accordance with a preferred embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the self-positioning space organizer and objectholder in accordance with a preferred embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the self-positioning space organizer andobject holder in accordance with a preferred embodiment;

FIG. 4 is an isometric view the self-positioning space organizer andobject holder with a pocket body in accordance with another preferredembodiment;

FIG. 5 is a side view of a self-positioning space organizer and objectholder in accordance with a preferred embodiment;

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention is a self-positioning space organizer and objectholder apparatus for use in vehicles and also compartments or spacesrequiring organized storage of items with or without isolation fromcertain jarring or vibration.

Shown in FIG. 1 is a self-positioning space organizer and object holderapparatus 110 for use with and frequently provided as accessories forvehicles having limited interior storage space. The storage compartmentsare typically used for storage of a variety of items commonly carried invehicles, including but not limited to MP3 players, cell phones, PDAs,pocket PCs, garage openers, jump memory sticks and many other vibrationsensitive electronic devices, eye glasses, small delicate or breakablecontainers, cassette tapes, small tools, coins, maps, litter, beverages,and other items and materials. The present invention addresses theproblem of keeping items and objects smartly organized within limitedspaces and also safe from vibration or impact damage.

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of the self-positioning space organizer andobject holder 110 in accordance with a preferred embodiment. Thisillustration of an embodiment of the invention shows the body 116, legmember 114, leg ends 112 or feet, and body insert 118. The holder isshown freely standing but is fully installable in a small space, storagecompartment as well as floor mounted and oriented in most any positiondepending on the surrounding available space and surface angles andtype. Conventional fasteners such as bolts are not needed in theinstallation. Because the holder in this embodiment is of spring likedesign and compressible molded body and leg members, it does not requireassembly, can be easily placed or removed from the holding volume,allows the user to customize the space in the organizer, and can fit inan available space in longitudinal, transverse, or diagonal directions,depending on the size and shape of the available space.

The holder 110 body 116 portion is a semi-closed enclosure made ofbendable construction so that the enclosure volume provided can beadjusted to wrap and grip hold an object enclosed. A preferredembodiment of the invention may have a body component insert lining 118that adds a cushion securing character to the body 116 enclosure. Thebody 116 can be made from a variety of materials to be bendable andmalleable yet of light material. This material may be a metal, metalalloy, plastic, composite, or another material combination. In anotherembodiment, the body element can also be adapted with a mesh or othermaterial construction for vibration isolation, cost, weight or otherdesirable features.

In addition, the holder 110 or portion of the holder 110 may have acoating of material, providing a better gripping surface, cosmeticappeal, life to the holder, vibration absorption, and other properties.The coating material may include but is not limited to rubber, plastic,combinations of rubber and plastic. This coating may also have a surfaceconditioning providing a higher surface friction for gripping andvibration insulation.

FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 are the side and bottom views of the preferredembodiment shown in FIG. 1 respectively. The holder 210 310 is comprisedof a body 216 316 leg members 214 314, feet 212 312 on leg ends and abody insert lining 218. The feet 214 314 can be rubber or some highfriction or suction material capable of gripping the surrounding surfaceto support the body. The feet 214 314 also have some vibration isolatingproperties, passing or isolating from vibratory perturbations. Theholder body and leg stiffness provide spring-like grip which acts toisolate the held object from external forcing vibration or impact loads.

Installation of this embodiment involves compressing the holder andinserting the holder into the desired space, compartment or opening.Upon releasing the holder in the desired location, the holder's residualstresses will compel the holder to spring back and lodge itself inplace, pressing the feet against the adjacent surface. The holder body216 316 is bendable and can conform to any electronic or non-electronicdevice fitting smartly in its adjustable body 216 316 enclosure.

The interior of the body 216 316 may have an insert 218, not visible inFIG. 3, which is a lining of rubber or other insulating and grippingmaterial to hold the object in position.

FIG. 4 is an isometric view the self-positioning space organizer andobject holder with a pocket body in accordance with another preferredembodiment of the invention. This preferred embodiment has a body pocket416, attached leg members 414, leg ends 412 and a body lining 418. Themajor difference between the FIG. 1 and this FIG. 4 embodiment is thatthe body can be made to enclose the objects in degrees of enclosure andprotection from movement. The material construction can be light,durable, economical in construction, and aesthetically pleasing. Inanother embodiment, the holder apparatus can be a one-piece injectionmolded part that is contiguously attached to and supported by aplurality of leg members.

FIG. 5 is a side view of a self-positioning space organizer and objectholder in accordance with yet another embodiment.

As best shown in the FIG. 5 embodiment of the self-positioning spaceorganizer and object holder 510 includes a body 516 portion contiguouslyattached to four bendable leg members 512 extending outwardly tomounting feet 512. The mounting feet 512 are provided to secure the bodyenclosure member to a surface within volume of the storage compartmentor available space.

The body member 510 shown here has two pair of parallel sidescontiguously joined at the corners to define an adjustable enclosurevolume. The two sides are joined by surface formed to hold the enclosedobject. In this embodiment, the leg members 514 extend from each cornerof the base providing one of the four legs 514. The leg members canextend from other body locations. Also, the number of legs can vary inanother embodiment. The holder 510 is preferably formed of a moldedmaterial, such as fiberglass, composite, bendable or plastic. The bodymember may have an opening 518 to allow an object to be conformablywedged into the body 516. A rectangular opening 518 is shown but a roundopening for a cup or cylindrical object or rectangular opening for aparallelepiped shaped object can be used.

As shown in FIG. 5, each leg member 514 has a free end having an endattachment 512. The end attachment 512 provides added grip or adherenceto a surface through spring pressure application from the holder's bodyand leg spring-like stiffness. The length of the legs can be shortenedor lengthen by adding bends to permit the body enclosure to snugly fitfully within the available space of the storage compartment. Where theavailable space or volume surface is sloped, it may be necessary toadjust the length of the leg members by adding curvature or bend asneeded. Also the leg ends can be bent to attach under outer surfacelayers such as rugs, flaps, etc.

As shown in FIG. 5, each mounting foot 512 is formed from solid materialsuch as hard rubber. Each mounting foot 512 has a curved surface and isformed or attached to the free end of the leg member 514.

The feet members of the holder preferred embodiment, provide additionalgrip friction to maintain the hold position and are sufficientlymalleable so that they can be bent slightly to conform to the adheringsurface or surface layers/extensions.

The holder body and legs construction provides the characteristics tosecurely maintain an objects position through sudden changes in volumemovement. In addition, the space surrounding the body and in between theholder legs can provide additional organized space in other portions ofthe storage compartment.

While the invention has been described in detail with reference topreferred embodiments, it is understood that variations andmodifications thereof may be made without departing from the true spiritand scope of the invention.

1. A self-positioning space organizer and object holder apparatus forstoring objects comprising: a body element in a semi-enclosing geometryforming an object pressure gripping spring like enclosure for holding anobject, a plurality of leg members contiguous with the body portion,being rigidly and uniformly connected with respect to each other, theleg members on opposing sides of the body element each having ends ofgripping or non-slipping surface, wherein the holder apparatus installedwithin a volume with an adjacent surface, firmly secures an object bycontact with the body, the body suspended within the available space. 2.The self-positioning space organizer and object holder in claim 1further comprising one or more leg members and body element of acontiguous one-piece injection molded holder.
 3. The self-positioningspace organizer and object holder as in claim 1 further comprising legsand body of a tubular framework generally following a one-piececontiguous surface edge design having two opposing body sides with twoopposing ends connected to one or more leg members.
 4. Theself-positioning space organizer and object holder in claim 1 furthercomprising a bendable material character with conformable stiffness. 5.The self-positioning space organizer and object holder in claim 1further comprising a body enclosure of variable stiffness with frequencyband isolating characteristics providing object with vibrationprotection from forcing frequency vibration.
 6. The self-positioningspace organizer and object holder in claim 1 further comprising aflexible construction that allows the holder to automatically adjust andfit securely in the available space.
 7. The self-positioning spaceorganizer and object holder in claim 1 further comprising leg endelements removably adhering to adjacent space surface.
 8. Theself-positioning space organizer and object holder in claim 1 furthercomprising capability to fit in and available space in longitudinal,transverse, or diagonal directions, depending on the size and shape ofthe available space volume.
 9. The self-positioning space organizer andobject holder in claim 1 further comprising an apparatus without userassembly required.
 10. The self-positioning space organizer and objectholder in claim 1 further comprising body element of a mesh or othermaterial construction.
 11. The self-positioning space organizer andobject holder in claim 1 further comprising dividers that are adjustableallowing customization of the space organized.
 12. The self-positioningspace organizer and object holder in claim 1 further comprising holderapparatus to hold objects firmly when placed in any desired space orenclosure.
 13. The self-positioning space organizer and object holder inclaim 1 further comprising a cushioned environment for safely storingdevices or objects within any enclosure.
 14. The self-positioning spaceorganizer and object holder in claim 1 further comprising spring-likeleg and body grip design which acts to damp vibration from externalforcing vibration or impact loads.
 15. The self-positioning spaceorganizer and object holder in claim 1 further comprising apparatusconstruction that retains residual stresses upon partial decompressionproviding an adhering force.
 16. The self-positioning space organizerand object holder in claim 1 further comprising adaptability to securelyaccommodate small electronic or non-electronic devices or objects byconformably adjusting the body enclosure shape to the object.
 17. Theself-positioning space organizer and object holder in claim 1 furthercomprising interior body element interior surface lined with arubber-gripping material to secure objects.
 18. An organization andholder device for storage of items in a compartment of a vehicle, saidcompartment having a bottom surface, said device comprising: a bodymember having a plurality of legs and body member providing a supportenclosure, the leg members each having a length extending from the bodymember to a distal end portion, body enclosure for firmly supporting anobject; means for independently adjusting said length of each of the legmembers extending between the body member and the distal end of each ofthe leg members, whereby body enclosure suspends an object to be stored.19. The organization and holder device of claim 18, wherein each of theplurality of feet have gripping surfaces, bendable and contiguous toeach distal end of each of the of leg members.
 20. The organization anddevice of claim 19, wherein each of said mounting feet has means forengaging an inner surface of said compartment to suspend the body memberwithin a storage compartment by compressing device to allow residualstresses to maintain position against surrounding surface.